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Energy v. Apathy - 4/22/25


I asked a couple friends who are much more scientifically-oriented the question: What is energy?  I didn’t mean E=MC2.  I meant physiologically, what is energy? They described a lot of things that sounded really good, yet far too advanced for my non-medical mind. Part of the reason why energy is of Read more

Prep Enough to Personalize - 4/15/25


Everybody loves Howie.  He is an account rep for the local air conditioning and heating company.  When I say Everybody loves Howie, I’m definitely talking about the customers.  His co-workers love him too, but customers are especially fond of him.  They seem to really enjoy their conversations with him, Read more

Get Your Customers to Brag, Not Bolt - 4/8/25


Here are two customer retention concepts that we discuss with some sports clients: BIRG and CORF.  BIRG is Basking In Reflected Glory.  CORF is Cutting Off Reflected Failure. You want BIRG.  You want the customers feeling so good about your organization that they want to be a part of your Read more

Narrow Your Focus to Seek Excellence - 4/1/25


You’ve probably heard companies use phrases such as: “We want to go from being good to great.”  Maybe they’ve said: “We strive for perfection, and although we’ll never reach perfection, maybe we can achieve excellence along the way.” These organizations find some kind of a catch phrase or slogan, but Read more

Avoid the Unfriendly Ghost - 3/25/25


Last week we talked about the qualities of “PERKI Customer Service,” essentially what attitudes and actions are characteristics of those who provide great customer service.  This week, let’s take the opposite approach.  What are some of the mistakes that people make?  Maybe these are mistakes of omission or commission; Read more

PERKI Customer Service - 3/18/25


After having worked on hundreds of projects over the years with thousands of thousands of individuals, some things become pretty clear. There are certain traits held by people who are great in customer service.  Look at this list, and do a self-assessment.  Which apply to you? Positive and Patient Do you Read more

It Helps to Downshift - 3/11/25


One of the first tips I heard when I was learning how to drive related to what to do when the brakes fail - downshift.  Shifting into a lower gear can slow down a moving vehicle.  I would explain this in technical terms to you, but considering I’m not Read more

Patience is… - 3/4/25


Patience is a…pain in the neck.  Why is it so hard to be patient?  Those of us who work in customer service know that we constantly have to show patience with our customers.  We’re ready to move to the next step or the solution because we’ve heard this issue Read more

Everybody Doesn’t - 2/25/25


Joey received the compliment, but he was confused.  Paula, his boss, and Joey had their monthly one-on-one meeting, and Paula noted that, although he was new, Joey was already doing a great job!  While there were learning curves on some of the organizational policies and the technology that he Read more

A Simple Phrase to Transform Your Customer Feedback Approach - 2/18/25


I went to a restaurant called Big Ed’s (no relation) in Raleigh, NC recently.  It’s basically country cooking with fantastic breakfast options!  On the menu there was a quote that said: If you enjoyed your meal, tell a friend.  If not, please tell us. That was an excellent statement that embodies Read more

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Brainstorm to Better Yourself – 7/2/24

Posted on July 2, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

I’ve led enough sessions with clients on continuous improvement topics to have solid experience on how to lead ideation exercises, brainstorming to develop new ideas.  Oftentimes these sessions start with the right question; the first answers may not be the ultimate solution, but they can serve as a jumping off point for deeper/better ideas from participants.

Brainstorming as an individual isn’t quite as easy an exercise, but it’s something that can create similar outcomes.  If you’re trying to identify ways that you can improve yourself and your role in customer service, it really helps to be asked the right questions.  So hopefully some of the following questions – and particularly your answers to these questions – will help you to find ways that you can be just a little bit better in the future than you are today:

If you had 2 free hours and could do anything possible to uncover ways to better your performance, what great customer service companies would you research?  What co-workers would you shadow?  What team members would you sit down with to just tap their brains for ideas and best practices?

How could you improve your communication skills?  Become a better listener?  Communicate more concisely and specifically?  Become more empathetic of the other person’s situation?

If you had available financial resources or funding, what training or webinars or books or workshops would you engage with to learn?

What are the 3 aspects of customer service where you are best?  What can you do to get better?

What are the 3 aspects of customer service where you have the least experience or you’re not quite as strong?  Who or what can you engage with to get better at those 3 specific topics?

Maybe these questions lead you to one or two ideas that you can take action on to improve.  Maybe these questions lead you to 8-10 different ideas.  Either way, answer these questions to identify opportunities to improve.

Take a few minutes to brainstorm by yourself to find ways to better yourself.

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The Power of the Pause – 6/25/24

Posted on June 25, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

When I’m facilitating a meeting, and it feels like it’s going off-track or the discussion is going a little longer than it should, I may say something like “let me pause the conversation so that…” or “let’s pause just for a minute and consider…”

I don’t like the word STOP.  I don’t like to say “let’s stop that discussion” or “you need to stop talking.”  ‘Stop’ just gets taken as much more of an abrupt, sometimes rude way to cut somebody off.  But suggesting that we ‘pause’ the conversation suggests that it’s not fully closed (although for all intents and purposes, it is closed). It’s a softer way of ending one part of the conversation and then transitioning to another topic.

So, that word – pause – is a useful tool.

Also, learning how to pause is useful.  I’ve received many e-mails recently where the person should have paused before hitting Send.  They should have re-read what was being requested and made sure that their e-mail was addressing the specific request.

I’ve been in conversations where I could tell that people considered going down a negative path, but – instead – they calmly tried to convey their concern about a co-worker or about a situation before transitioning to some potential solutions.  I could tell they were intentionally thinking about what they wanted to say, because there were these subtle pauses during the conversation.

Pausing enables you to be thoughtful.  It enables you to take that emotional intelligence that the “gurus” of the world say we need to have, and put it to use before we just give a reflex response to what’s being said or how it’s being said.

Maybe you are trying to redirect a conversation, you’re wanting to send an e-mail that truly addresses the other person’s points, you seek to go down a path of solutions rather than pure negativity, or you’re striving to convey a little bit of thoughtfulness in your response.

To be more effective and impactful in those situations, tap into the power of the pause.

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Handle Interruptions Heroically – 6/18/24

Posted on June 18, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

In the middle of a project, Jimbo, the customer service team member, had to stop what he was doing because he received an e-mail from a customer complaining about their experience at a recent event.

Later that day, Jimbo was asked by his boss to put everything on hold for a “rush request” from the boss’s boss for some customer satisfaction data from the past month.

Just as Jimbo was getting ready to go home, he decided to check e-mail one more time before shutting off his computer.  A long-time client had requested a status update on an annual renewal gift that she should have received last week; since she hadn’t received it, she wanted to change the gift she selected.

These were just 3 interruptions that Jimbo had to deal with – none at opportune times (if there even is such a thing), and yet – this staff person gathered himself each time, took a deep breath, got focused on the person he was engaged with, and handled the situation professionally.

The interruptions were not what he wanted, but they were typical of what he – and likely you – deal with EVERY workday.

When you’re providing customer service, rarely does the day flow as planned and without interruptions.  About the only thing you can consistently count on is that at some point during the day, you’ll be interrupted.

But you keep your composure.  You smile.  You find a way to make that interruption a temporary priority, and you still get most of your priorities done and done well.

Don’t let the frustrations of interruptions keep you from being your best.  Continue to do a good job because that’s who you are, that’s what you do, and that’s what the job requires.  Handle Interruptions Heroically.

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